While the first museum in Sandpoint began operation in the Sandpoint High School in 1953, the present museum building wasn't opened until July of 1980. The primary mission of the museum is to
. The museum also presents
Set in beautiful Lakeview Park, the museum has extensive grounds surrounding the main building, some of which have been used to display a retired
. We surmise that the wheel was used to power a small sawmill. Hoodoo Creek is a small creek which flows north into the Pend Oreille River at LaClede, about 12 miles southwest of Sandpoint.
We traveled to Sandpoint a bit too early in the year, resulting in our being unable to view any of the interior exhibits. We did, however, tour the grounds, which include a large park with recreational facilities and an arboretum.
Bonner County History Museum
Founded in 1972, the Bonner County History Museum has been collecting and preserving the Bonner County region’s significant stories for over 40 years.
The Museum is located in view of Lake Pend Oreille in beautiful Lakeview Park. The park has many amenities including picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts, and the Native Plant Society arboretum. Adjacent to Lakeview Park is Memorial Field which has a boat launch and is home to the Festival at Sandpoint every August.
The Bonner County History Museum is a private, non-profit educational organization (I.R.S. 501 (c) 3). The museum is a membership organization, open to all. We operate thanks to community support, membership fees, gifts, retail sales and donations, and grants from private foundations.
History
In 1953, the first Museum in this area was established in Room 2 of Sandpoint High School by Dr. Ethel Page Westwood. It was called the Museum of Natural and Human History and displayed her extensive collection of rocks and fossils, along with artifacts that were contributed by local residents.
Within a year the Museum moved to the annex of the Sandpoint Community Hall, and later to the basement of the Sandpoint Library at Second and Poplar Streets. Without a permanent location, the collections suffered damage and there were limitations in how things could be displayed, so the long search for a permanent structure to house the Museum began. Fundraising efforts to build a museum started with the David Thompson Sesquicentennial Commemoration in 1959, which put $550 into the coffers. On January 3, 1972, Articles of Incorporation were signed.
On March 9, 1972, The Sandpoint News-Bulletin announced the formation of a non-profit organization dedicated to the collecting and preservation of the historical heritage of Bonner County. Mrs. Littlefield was the Society’s acting President at the time, and a temporary board of directors was named during the organizational period. The Society’s long-range goal included a museum building where collections and research materials would be available to the public.
The building project gained focus in the community during the celebration of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. $50,000 was raised in cash and pledges in a few weeks and construction began on the site of the old Fairgrounds, now Lakeview Park. The grand opening was held in July of 1980.
From The Museum